Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 305; Paint Out in Paradise, Pine View School, Dancing at Nursing Homes, RC Plane Collection

Home is a special presentation of w. we do YOU Tampa St. Petersburg Sarasota. Come fly with us. Anyone can do it. Visit one of the most remarkable schools in the nation and. Join in the fun with me go to paradise. And all the women too as even centenarians tapping their feet in this volume of a Gulf Coast tribal. WTU production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. Building strong communities leadership partnership and doubt to let there be. Dear Journal. Here on the Gulf Coast we live surrounded

by art. That art which the original artist created and recreate each day. And the works of mortal artists are trying to tap share some of the beauties around them. Some of them sit in their studios and imagine but a lot of them like to get right out in it. They are all around us. The main street of Venice. In Park. And Beach. They are the treasures that we pass by every day with little more than a glance. Of. Splendor hidden in plain sight. These flowers I walk by them I don't know how many times. And so beautiful. As you. And I see captured. Capturing simple beauty beauty we take for granted. This is the mission that poses both challenges and rewards for artists

involved in the Venice art Center's first ever paint out in paradise. We're very proud of our artists and this is a way of showcasing their work and for the public to share. And watching them paint. For three days 28 artist visiting and local went their own ways around Venice in BSA and some macho obvious places. I decided to paint the north jetty fish camp. It's a historic building in sight in Venice and there's lots of people over there and it's interesting. I'm painting the Luna restaurant in downtown Venice. It's one of the scenes downtown that's interesting in the way the light is. On those umbrellas assist colorful scene. It's beautiful. Paid out in Paradise was created to raise awareness of our own precious surroundings and to raise money for the Venice art Center's children's art

programs. We have summer camps over the summer. And there. Though they're not as tense as a lot of children that wouldn't be able to have the luxury of a summer camp without a scholarship. Armed with paints and panels and brushes and a limited amount of time the artists took on the challenge of painting plan a hair. Plan at its friends in the open air. But it actually started in the. And it's so late. And then they sent him home the. Plan error allows artists to step outside the studio and perhaps step outside their comfort zone. To paint from life rather than a photograph. I related to my musicians jamming. You know when they get up on stage and they jam together this kind of feel music because they're just doing you know off the cuff. Artist John Cherry last year was the official paid out Judge. He says the real

competition is an artist vs. artist its artist versus time. You have to really capture the essence of what youre painting and capture it quickly. Time light and even subject matter taunt and tease ever moving ever changing. Commercial artist Ron Gourlay says it's like running a four minute mile. You are trying to beat the clock you only have so much time and you you know it pushes you to work hard because like when I was painting yesterday when I started the light was on the right side of the tree and by the time it was finished it was on the west side. So it's just a it's a race. It's difficult. No unexpected hazard can distract you know. It was. Fun. They're. Going to watch out for that. Counts lines here. Predictable obstacle steal precious time. You show your are. The biggest challenges we have are are the funny comments

that we get with people that want buy and then. They'll see us painting and they'll ask us if this is really our painting while we're painting it. Temporary dissatisfaction is common even for John. He's been painting plan ever since he was eight. Normally when you when you painted on location look at it on location you know several states. And then you get it back to the studio. Anything that was going to. Be a. Working plan error requires a good memory the ability to race against time and sometimes a little luck. You say I've got a replacement now I'm going to play some others that's moved in offensive wearing the same half of the woman who is 74 so we are in luck. Finally failing light forces the artist chant the race is over. Usually come to a point where you don't. I'm going to stop right here. It's done. And you see I kind of sense when that point. Is this what you're thinking.

Long. Back at the Venice Argenter the finish paintings are viewed in an entirely new light. This year's winners. Local artist Hodges swallow and his oil painting fountain park. And Linda Thompson with her Casper Cimarron. And the other winners. Every artist who painted out in paradise. And every art appreciator. Can solve their remarkable work. Just.

Recently state wide f cat testing measured people's ability to read in third grade what percentage of the pupils in a school could read at or above grade level. Well every school in Sarasota County improved its percentage over the year before every school except one. Pine View School did not improve its percentage. But that's because Pine View School was already at 100 percent. It is quite a school and you have to like test. Can't remember when I went over there with Mr. Spike. The nature trail through pines and oaks. Not your typical landscape for a public school. But then again Pine View is not typical. A mission is to provide you know a learning environment. That's that's challenging. That encourages kids to be like the commercial from a few years back to be all that they can be. Pine View serves students from second grade through high school students who are intellectually gifted. Like college students they must meet stringent entrance

requirements. We value our academic life and still value I do make us value things that have to do with money and you're going to succeed in the center where people are. Valued around the world for what they can do thinking lines. We need to nurture our people and force. This full time gifted school is located in the Sarasota area known as aspirate. It's very unique to see 12th graders second graders on the same campus and the fact that they get along and that the second graders are able to see 12th graders as role models all students all grade levels are encouraged to be intellectually curious to take risks to be innovative and independent. I'm here then those skills are put to the test often by creative means such as using math to help create a solar cooker. But you know I really think that you could cut field with using math but then when you take those kinds of

other things in this world that are invented because of math even simple things that people use on. I have a chore for you. What I want you to do. History teacher Patricia Johnston is part of pine views history she has been teaching here since 1970. A year after the school first opened. Now all these years later she still looks forward to coming to her classroom every day embracing their students thirst for knowledge. They're excited about learning and excited about knowing it's OK to me to want to know more. You're not supposed to be like everybody else. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson rotunda at the University of Virginia original student art graces the walls and ceiling. My inspiration came from. I went to Washington D.C. and I saw the change. And. There just simply had to come back into something that my where my inspiration for my project came from music because. I love music

so I am using a different media from my records and cutouts of different musical artists what I like about. You is that they can do independent projects. They see things a little step further they investigate and they are. Take things out of the box all over the world. Yeah. A. Little over the UK there are many musicians playing board where the chorus performs a world record per hour in several languages. Well the orchestra makes sure the classical music is instrumental in this do. Do inspire the next generation of medical researchers. Fourth grade students go outdoors to measure the effects of sunlight on ultraviolet sensitive beads and. Ryan.

Seconds. They pick different sunscreens we apply sunscreens to the beads took them outside and then count how many seconds it took for the beads to turn color. Or leave what you see. I see a motorcycle photo. Sharing a love of reading with disabled students from Oak Park School. Rewarding assignment for the fourth grade Pine View student we got the names of the kids at the reading levels and what their interests were and then we partnered our children with them and we let them create a story for them. Pined whose motto was that gifts are for sharing and we are a school for gifted but one of the things we try to encourage our kids to do is to share their gifts and by taking. Oak Park and partnering it with Pine View. We've definitely brought together opposite ends of the spectrum in Sarasota County. I think the most important thing that anyone can learn from anyone is to be caring and that is what we try to teach our children to be charitable and caring individuals. And that is to give back as much as a possibly

can. Yeah in the Bible the Gospel of Luke puts it this way. To whom much is given much is expected. The end. Or the. Test surely Goodman much was given. She uses it to the benefit of many. A sleepy Sunday morning of Sarasota and she in the pavilion. Something's beginning to stir in the halls of this nursing. Music. Did you awake yet. They come in droves 80 90 100 year old climbing up with wheelchairs and walkers. That. You know. I love love love love love. And they start

dancing with their walkers and moving around all day it's a real one you know and it's just wonderful It just makes me feel so right. And just to see the mall light up in fact they are following the light the light that is surely. The. Surely good manager of the petrol bundle of energy. The first bird to dance classes sponsored by the Red Cross draw the largest crowds here. They park their walkers start tapping their toes knocking their knees kicking up their feet. Around. The change in these elderly folks is so drastic and amazing you'd think they'd found the fountain of you gives you energy and you know keeps you alive. Now. Have fun and still a right to live that plane may sound a little over the top but 94 year old Sylvia Chalfie

means it. She and the staff here credit Shirley's dance class for extending Sylvia's life. Just weeks ago Sylvia was in hospice care. Hardly spoke. I didn't smile I barely knew and yet until they wheeled her in here one Sunday. Well this morning when I came in Sylvia was dancing around her walker and as animated as I've ever seen her. And historically Sylvia was ready to give up. I call it quits. Everyone thought Rayo Scott was ready to give up trying. Last night I received a call from her nurse that Rhea had very bad congestion and coughing and they were very very concerned and thought perhaps that she need to get out of the hospital and she said absolutely not. She was determined to come to this program this morning and so she did. Remarkably finding enough energy to sing along and even take a swipe at Shirley's giant plans.

But if it's something like this and then they think like this when. It feels wonderful. Therefore if I am an inspiration I tell. But I had heart surgery 17 years ago I had a quadruple bypass. I still don't believe I had a heart attack. I don't believe that I'm in such denial but I feel you know you get it fixed and then you forget about it and just keep on going. Surely credits dance for helping her through all of life's twists and turns. When I was 8 years old my dad taught me how to think we didn't have any money. It was during the depression of course we were really broke. We couldn't afford to pay for lessons for me to get me dance for the teacher. And she liked what she saw I guess. So she gave me lessons were not free. Surely excelled so quickly she started teaching tap and ballet at age 13. She performed on The New York stage in 1936 won the popular

Major Bowes amateur hour and early radio. American Idol. I think. People had to call in votes and. And I won that program that night and my children and my grandchildren think that's funny. Tap to tap dance on the radio you know how do you even only children when I mean music just absolutely lights up my life. You know once the music goes on. And I'm just there you know and so it's a wonderful for me. I mean it's filled up my life totally I have three line dance classes into retirement homes. She's incredible and she's a wonderful model for the other residents because. Of her energy hearing those Yasm She's a great dancer. I love to dance I dance and dance and I do get it right this time I am. If you were to come to this part of Venice Florida. And see this house and this

garage and I would ask you what's in that garage What would you say. Car Truck. Nope. An airplane actually. Actually one hundred airplanes. Yes. The garage is a hangar home to almost a hundred remote control model airplanes. I have room for another 25. The proud owner of this vast collection prefers to remain anonymous. He leaves the bragging rights to two other men Bob Shapiro and Bob ditto. He buys a mob build him and Bob Shapiro does most of the flying for truth I don't have time to practice to fly an expensive plane like this but I enjoy something over here. Build it. Yeah now they're not going to hold unless we.

Went over there for Bob vitro itself prescribe therapy therapy that helped him recover from open heart surgery a year ago. I've been able to come over here for three or four hours a day while I was convalescent and get my chair and just say I've got it all laid out here and I just enjoyed myself immensely. Bob the Builder prefers the classics Kelly favorite to the warplanes anyway related military planes are there coming nice. The blue one on top the Tigercat Bob the flyer loves contemporary. This is a bandit and it's powered by a gas turbine engine. It's a real jet engine that's inside of this airplane. And this plane can reach speeds of over 200 miles an hour. With both feet planted on the ground they share the excitement of that maiden flight. Not in a back yard or a park but a special place where other birds soar.

On the eastern outskirts of Sarasota County. It's tucked inside miles of undeveloped land in Sarasota as solid waste complex. Is a beautiful 6 acre model airfield Whence come all the South. This is where a group of some 200 radio controlled plane and juiciest spread their wings so they are the RC flyers of Venice. There are no obstruct or power lines or buildings to hit. No noise ordinances No I rake neighbors just runways. Soft landing. And wide open Shohreh. Kind of get in the zone. So I'd say you know there's a Zen to it when you're out there and you're you know flying the airplane

around you. You almost put yourself in it. You know everything else gets shut out and when you're put in a good flight it's it's a very serene experience. But today wouldn't have been so serenely. Our attention quickly shifted from the high performance plane to a more rudimentary model. We're used to living noisy clatter of the gasoline engines of the summer. Record motor power on this claim. Yes sir that is correct. It's very relaxing very quiet and mind you not anywheres near as fast or intense as dissolution and flight would be told so very neat us warriors no clue no looks just a beautiful relaxing type way of getting into the hobby. Ever crash or yes I've had three or four crashes and I've I'm kind of new I've only been doing this for a little less than here.

The glider crashed during our interview. It needs to be rebuilt every failure is as much a part of the sport as flying. I like this challenge a T-shirt that says fly by say. Like. Never. Too much truth in my. Heart. The poxy and enthusiasm to tools of the trade tools these model aviators eagerly share with others. Left again. Pull back a bit or right to straighten it out right. Get one right out of that right. Yeah that's right you got it again that's the way a buddy box allows an experienced pilot to train a novice. It's like its drivers ed teachers extra brake pedal. OK you got it I got it. You waste a lot of money and a lot of time doing this can cheat on thousands of dollars. A couple hundred dollars can get you into the sport. Aerobatic stunt planes can run as high as ten thousand dollars.

After some engine fine tuning Bob Shapiro finds his fan. As high noon approaches the planes take off by way of cars and trucks. Remember it's back to life full scale. This is the sad part of the day and we have to pack up and go home. But there's always tomorrow to catch a few thermals swap some more stories and get together for. Just. Plain. Fun. People coming together to fly to dance to learn. To paint. Community here on the Gulf Coast. And now hoping that you'll be with us when we open the next volume of a Gulf Coast Journal we say our farewells

with a few more dives and spins and roll. Or any other volume of A.

Partnership.